1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to interactive data processing systems, and more particularly to a technique which provides a help/dialog function that presents information to a user based on the user's experience level with the interactive system. This approach allows a user to easily learn an application and avoid the burdensome overhead of too much help/dialog information after a degree of familiarity is achieved.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The change from centralized, batch operation of computer systems to distributed, interactive usage means more users are directly involved in using these systems. Moreover, computers are becoming more heterogeneous as the usage of computers spreads. The level of experience with or knowledge of computers by the users varies widely. More and more, the use of a computer or data processing system is by nonprofessionals in the data processing arts, and it is therefore important that the system be made "user-friendly" to facilitate ease of learning, as well as proper data entry and processing. However, as users repeatedly use a computer program, hereinafter referred to as an application, and reach a greater level of skill or proficiency with it, they require less and less help/dialog information. As used herein, the skill level of the user refers to a particular user's familiarity with a specific application or system as opposed to the user's skill in the field that the system addresses, such as banking, accounting or the like.
"User-friendly" systems have typically adopted a display screen "panel" or help/dialog approach which gives the user a choice of several options to perform and/or blanks to fill in. The blanks correspond to data fields, and these data fields have constraints on the type of characters that will be accepted, the length of the field, the compatibility of one entry with another, and so forth. A good prior art approach to the problem of prompts for data entry is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,964, to Nickle, issued Feb. 19, 1985. The Nickle system provides operator information on errors made in entering information interactively. However, it is also necessary to provide the user with help/dialogs that clarify what each data entry screen requires. As the skill level of the user increases, the help/dialog information may become clumsy and burdensome and it would be beneficial to be able to limit it. However, if a person does not use an application for a period of time, the full help/dialog information may become important again.
Prior art techniques which are concerned with guiding a user through the proper entry of information into a system include the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,197, to Haag et al., issued Oct. 23, 1984. The Haag et al. patent discloses a system which allows the operator to select the modes of operation. At the highest level of control, the user can select which panel is of interest. The selected panel displays mode selection fields from which a selection can be made. The selected modes are linked in a cyclic order so that repeated activation of the field select key will cause the modes to be cycled through their linked sequence. The Haag et al. patent is specifically directed to logic state analyzers.
Another example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,582, to Berger, issued Dec. 29, 1981. The Berger patent discloses a precursory set-up for a word processor in which the user is presented with a list of acceptable functions that the word processor can perform. After the user selects a desired function, the control system automatically builds a list of control parameters for executing the selected functions and presents these control parameters to the user.
Users' needs change over time as they gain experience in the use of an application program. "Helpful" information may be helpful to the novice but may frustrate and slow the more experienced user. What is needed is a system supplement to the traditional help facility where the user receives helpful information by requesting it and yet does not detract from the expedient use of the application as the user gains experience in its use.